Disability

According to a study in 1991, there are 10 different stereotypes that media use to portray disabled people, these are:
-Pathetic or Pitiable
-An object of curiosity or violence
-Sinister or evil
-The super cripple
-As atmosphere
-Laughable
-His/her own worst enemy
-A burden
-Non-sexual
-Unable to participate in daily life


Film has provided a been key for developments in language and social attitudes towards disability- including learning disabilities and mental illness, which endured a bad history of misrepresentation on screen. The 21st century has been a platform for the media to enhance the disabled in a good light, with most soap operas, and TV series including them, but not just as 'atmosphere'. For example in Coronation Street Izzy Armstrong, (played by Cherylee Houston) suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, using a wheel chair to get about,  she plays a main character with a child, and is respected by all of the other characters, going against many of the typical stereotypes. RJ Mitte is another example, playig a key part in the hit TV series 'Breaking Bad'. Mitte plays 'Walter Jr' and suffers from Cerebral palsy in real life as well as in the TV show, showing him to be very skilled, even though he has a disability.
However, it is not just disabled people that suffer from under representation; figures state that just 15% of women that feature on BBC 1, ITV 1, Sky 1, and Channel 4 were aged over 56, half (30%) of which actually make up the demographic, hinting that TV is verging on sexism. Also older people are often forgotten about and are considerably under represented with over 55s accounting for just 12% of lead roles in dramas.

Disability in a touch of frost

We watched a clip on the treatment of a disabled person from a touch of frost (Billy). Here are my ideas:

The inspector is looking down, and talking down on him throughout the clip, showing he is of higher status than him. Whilst the Inspector speaks to him, he repeats Billy’s sentences, almost like you would with a child- because he thinks of him as ‘mentally sub-normal’. Billy is also shown to be covered in mud, emphasising he isn’t ‘clean’; using both aspects of the word, maybe he has done something wrong, and/or maybe he is trying to be portrayed as dirty just because he is disabled. To contradict this Billy is shown as not as clever as everyone throughout, but is said to have a job, perhaps suggesting that disabled people are equal to us and deserve the same chances.

Se7en-Textual Analysis

The Woman in Black- Textual Analysis

Textual Analysis: Trailer of Paranormal Activity

Barthes' Narrative Codes

Roland Barthes' Narrative Codes

Action Code
The audience will recognise an action code, as it indicates what is the next logical step. For example, the packing of a suitcase symbolises that the person is about to leave. In my Preliminary task, I used action code by somebody walking in a door, symbolising that you will see that person leave the room.

Mystery Code
This code is used to explain that you think you will find an answer if keep watching. It grabs the audience's interest and attention as it draws them in to keep watching. For example, somebody is holding a bloody knife, and there is a body on the floor; it draws you in as you want to find out who did it, and why. In our preliminary piece we used mystery code through showing the wrong document being given, this draws you in to find out why the document is needed.

Semic Code
Symbols are used to show meanings and a narrative through signs, for example in this picture the 'A' in the circle symbolises anarchy, and foreshadows what is to come.

The Cultural Code

This makes the narrative to make sense, and show the cultural and social atmosphere that should be created during the film. In my preliminary task we showed the scene to be in an office, showing the mood of the film (formal).

Code of Opposite

This code refers to a narrative that shows binary opposites, for example black vs white, male vs female. In my preliminary we used male vs female, and in this case the woman (playing the antagonist) outwits the man (playing the protagonist). 



These also link into our  main task. We would use things such as semic codes in our thriller as they are a key convention of a thriller, and entices the viewer in as it foreshadows what may be coming. In our thriller we could also use mystery code, because the 2 minute opening will make them want to keep watching, as they feel they will find an answer if they do so.



Conventions of a thriller

Conventions of a Thriller Movie

In a thriller, the usual scenario is a battle between a protagonist and an antagonist, when one disrupts the other. Usual a set of bad events happen, setting the scene for a climax at the end, often a build of to suspense for the end of the film. The protagonist tries to out do the antagonist, and often (not all the time) justice is restored.

In thrillers there are many different conventions, these include:
-Tense music
-Quick cuts
-Black and white shots
-Protagonist in mercy of Antagonist
-Variety/Montage of shots

There is, most often, a single/group of characters that make up the protagonist, and they virtually always fight for justice, whilst in most thrillers the antagonist usually has a hidden identity at some point in the film, adding mystery code to the thriller. The story line is often quite realistic so that the person watching thinks it could possibly happen them, involving them and adding emotional connections with the film.

Camera shots like close up and extreme close ups would be used to show the emotion of the character, to set the tone for the scene. Along with the camera shots, music would be played in the background to enhance the mood for that particular scene even further.

Music in a thriller is key for the mood of any scene, and it can also send a message to the audience ie. making the them happy, or making them scared. In the majority of thrillers it builds up suspense, and the music will often get louder as more of something is revealed, to make it more dramatic.

Mise-en-scene:
-The location is key because it establishes the theme of the thriller.
-Lighting so that the theme can be further established
-The costumes play a key part in the mise-en-scene as the characters personality is clearly displayed through them.
-Saturation and colours used in the film show the theme and mood.

This links into our thriller as we are going to use some of these ideas, for example the lighting, in our thriller for a more sinister effect. We will use sharp music, similar to that use in the shining.


                

Preliminary Evaluation